What
is the art used for?
Usage is probably the biggest difference between Fine art and Illustration.
Fine Art
 |
| Trust Watercolors on paper |
Usage: aesthetic pleasure
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
In this painting
Peluca, a Colombian Paso Fino, is following me without halter to her stable
after a fun ride. I never had horse riding lessons before and the first moment riding this lively horse was scary. Her hooves were moving rapidly. It felt as if we were hovering over the ground. In those first moments, she taught me what Paso Fino "brio and a smooth gait" meant.
I
wanted to express the duality of these beautiful horses. They have a calm loving nature when not mounted and the warm colors show their spirited nature and eagerness to please their rider.
My
fine art work is mostly hung on the walls of collectors' houses or offices but also has been exhibited in art shows and featured on covers.
Creating Fine art depends on my own mood and what inspires me. Financial compensation is not the main reason for me to paint nor the automatic result. It all depends on taste and demand.
It is also important to improve my observation and art skills to gain more confidence.
Illustration
 |
| Illustration of Ragdoll cat Axle as Pizza chef Watercolors on paper |
Usage: Visual communication and commercial use
"The first step in exceeding your customer's expectations is to know those expectations".Roy H. Williams
Based
on the information and requests of the client (or brief), I created this image
of a Ragdoll named Axle as a pizza chef.
This is one of the illustrations for a book for children on cooking healthy. Axle, the Ragdoll cat, is a character based on the author's cat Axle who can always be found in the kitchen when they are cooking. The illustrations of Axle will also be used on the author's kitchen products.
Since my illustrations can be used on different products and not only in books, every
copyright for a specific usage is sold separately for a specific time. The client determines what the art is going to be used
for. The
usage for my illustrations is agreed upon from the moment I am asked to create
work. Therefore, a contract or written agreement is a must to avoid
misunderstandings and to build a strong and healthy business relationship.
Unlike Fine Art, I can't wait to be inspired by something or to be in the mood to create. I have to rely on my drawing skills, imagination and my visual vocabulary to create an illustration that meets or exceeds my clients expectations in a specific amount of time.
To learn more about these expectations and to learn the technical aspects of illustration, I followed the 2 year children's book illustration course at the London Art Academy besides working full time as an illustrator for the past 5 years. I will be graduating next week.
Another illustration project I am working on can be followed at the author's Facebook page: Marvellous Creatures.
Axle also has his own page on Facebook: Axle Reid , owned by the author of the Chef Axle series.
Both are being published this year.
